NEWS
•••
Herbert doing a 180°! From
newspapers to farming.
Herbert Mabuza
diversifies by selling
excess bales and he
also wants to revive
the dairy parlour.
Herbert has 204 Bonsmaras and 125
sheep on his farm Blaauwbank, and
it is still growing!
SENWES
“I got to a stage where I didn’t
know what to do and I needed
help. I got direction from Senwes.
I did my homework and I chose
to go with Senwes.” He adds
that he has a great relationship
as he bounces issues off Senwes
Agronomist, Julias Ramohlabi. He
has good things to say about the
excellent programmes at Senwes.
He has a lot of appreciation for the
production loans and the manner
in which Senwes works: “They
take the money as it comes in, so
it doesn’t burden you. And then
they give you another loan.” He
delivers his grain at the Oberholzer
Silo which is also quite close to
his farm. “The services offered by
Senwes make a huge difference in
my life.”
FAMILY
Herbert is divorced and has three
kids, Mbali who is in the IT-industry, Nokuthula who is a first
year student at Wits and Thembisile who is in grade 8. Are they the
farmers of the future? - “We’ll see,
time will tell. It’s a new thing in
our family. Farming is one of those
things that is necessary, but not
necessarily popular.”
THE REACTION FROM FAMILY
AND FRIENDS
His friends and family are quite
amazed and react with: “Farming...
what are you doing here? But in
the end they think the “lifestyle is
great”. But he doesn’t know if they
think one works hard on a farm
or not.
SOLITARY DEFINED HIM
“In solitary confinement you
grow up very quickly. Sitting
alone in a corner you have to
cope on your own, you have no
alternative.” That is why he has no
problem with being alone or rea
ding one of the many books that
he has, some still packed away in
boxes. Media gave him a voice –
media is a way of letting the world
know what is going on.
NEWSPAPER CORPORATE
It was an amazing life for Herbert.
He often thinks of how privileged
he was to have had a full view
while others only see a snapshot of
what he has seen. “A front seat in
a way.”
“Media opens you up.” He was
at the death of Chris Hani, the Rivonia Trial and did articles about
Walter Sisulu and Nelson Mandela. There have been so many highlights. He was there when Nelson
Mandela was released in 1990,
at the inauguration of Nelson
Mandela at the Union Buildings
in 1994 and at the Rugby World
Cup in 1995 and the African Cup
of Nations in 1996. “Those were
the big stories - but the small stories also have an impact on one’s
life. Stories in which ordinary
people do extraordinary things in
their little corner.”
THE WAY FORWARD IN FARMING
He has been a leader in media
circles. But he has to go in a different direction now: “I think for
now I know where I need to go.
If I can just get this piece of land
to produce food for people, create
employment, being of service to
the people around me and make a
profit.” He currently employs eight
people and brings in another ten
to twelve casual workers during
harvest times. He respects his
workforce so much: “I have got
amazing guys out in the field. I
look at farming as an institution.”
He thinks of his role in this regard:
“You’re not shaking the world, but
you are making a difference.”
He would like to establish other
business enterprises on the farm.
“The dairy parlour needs updating, I would like to produce vegetables at some point and I would
also like to sell surplus bales - In
farming you can’t just count on
one thing.”
Being a farmer is also about
opportunities. “Opportunities are
not just going to knock on your
door, you’ve got to find them and
maximise on them.”
He adds his own curious nature
to the whole mix: “I’ve got to see
things practically. Farming is a
feel thing. You smell and feel the
soil.” To broaden his knowledge
and feed his curiosity he also goes
to numerous auctions because he
knows it is a learning process.
He finishes off with: “In farming you can’t just relax. There is no
pay check at the end of the day.”
And with this you know that Herbert understands farming, and you
can be sure that he will challenge
everything. “It is the way I am.
You can’t say I can’t, unless you’ve
tried it.”
SENWES Scenario • Apr/May 2016
27